A caller from the 509 area code left a message (no name of course) that my “columns” I write on the Mariners aren’t getting it right. That a “big league” writer shouldn’t be a cheerleader (we should only date them). You guys alls know this – I don’t write columns, particularly for the paper. Beat writers don’t write columns. This astute caller says, “The real problem with this team starts at the top! Am I the only one that knows this?” Yeah, buddy, you really came up with something that nobody has ever considered before – thanks Tips.

Here’s some opinion – I think the ownership structure is more than a little flawed. I think we all know this. And all blame should start at the top and work its way down. But nothing I write or say will change that. The structure is what it is for now. I honestly don’t see it changing. Howard Lincoln seems committed to fixing this situation himself. So there is that.

But I guess that voicemail was better than the guy the other day who felt Felix Hernandez should throw 150 pitches a game.

First inning

Not a good inning at the plate for the M’s. Almonte strikes out on three pitches. Bloomquist strikes out on three pitches and Cano rolls over on his second pitch for a ground out — 8 pitches for Slowey that inning.

Maurer makes the mistake of walking Ozuna with one out and bringing Stanton to the plate. But he gets a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Mariners 0, Marlins 0

Second inning

The Mariners have a lead! Hart led off with a double to left-center. Ackley moved him over with a ground ball to second and Smoak hit a sac fly to right field.

Maurer works a 1-2-3 inning. He’s at 22 pitches.

Mariners 1, Marlins 0

Third inning

Mariners got a lead-off single from Buck. Maurer does a nice job bunting him over. Almonte hit a sharp grounder to second that was gloved for an out. Buck moved to third but Bloomquist flew out to end the inning.

Cano started the inning with a lead-off double. Hart hit a deep, deep fly to right-center to allow Cano to tag up and go to third. Ackley does his job and hits a sac fly to center to score Cano. M’s lead 2-0

Maurer strikes out Yelich, gets Ozuna to ground out and strikes out Stanton. He’s at 43 pitches and looks sharp.

Mariners 2, Marlins 0

Fifth inning

M’s go down 1-2-3.

Maurer gave up a one-out single to Garrett Jones on a little infield chopper that kind of went into no mans land with the Mariners in the lefty pull shift. From there, he walked Adeiny Hechavarria and gave up a single to Donovan Solano. McClendon lifted him in favor of Dominic Leone, who got the final two outs of the innin.g

Mariners 2, Marlins 1

Sixth inning

Cano had a two-out single up the middle. But he was caught stealing at second base trying to get into scoring position for Hart.

Leone gets into a little bit of a jam. He issued a walk to Ozuna, came back to strike out Stanton and then gave up a single to McGehee. With runners on the corners, McClendon went to Joe Beimel to face lefty Garrett Jones. The M’s get a break. Jones hard ground ball kicks off the glove of a diving Smoak, right to Cano, who calmly fired to Beimel covering at first to end the inning.

Mariners 2, Marlins 1

Seventh inning

M’s load the bases with two outs as Franklin and Buck draw walks. But pinch hitter Kyle Seager struck out on three pitches – three sliders from Carlos Marmol to end the inning.

Eighth inning

M’s go down 1-2-3

So the Mariners are now trailing 3-2. Furbush gave up a lead-off double to Yelich, who is really, really good. Wilhelmsen got Ozuna to fly out and then intentionally walked Stanton. Unfortunately, he walked McGehee to load the bases. It looked like he would get an out at home. But Smoak had trouble getting the ball out of his glove and his throw home was late. Yelich was originally called out at home. But it was obvious he was save. And a replay review overturned the call. Hechavarria hit a sac fly to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead.